


Company

by allofuswithwings



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-04
Updated: 2012-07-04
Packaged: 2017-11-09 04:07:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/451082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allofuswithwings/pseuds/allofuswithwings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John blames his troubles with Sarah on Sherlock, but the detective is having none of it.  He proposes a bewildering solution.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Company

**Author's Note:**

> Betas: xanium and lovedbynumbers on LJ.
> 
> Cross-posted on LJ.

~

 

“She won’t see me again, you know.”

 

The sound of John’s voice made Sherlock look up from his work, albeit only briefly.  His eyes met John’s pointed gaze for a moment before returning to the array of numbers, letters and symbols on the papers before him.  He spoke without looking up again.

 

“By ‘she’, you mean Sarah?”

 

“Yes, Sarah.  The woman who was thinking about being my proper girlfriend, until yesterday.  Thanks to you.”

 

“I suppose this is the part where you tell me how this is my fault?”

 

“It _is_ your fault, actually, now that you mention it,” John replied.

 

Sherlock continued taking notes.

 

“And how does your and Sarah’s relationship problems have anything to do with me?  I’ve never prevented you from seeing each other, nor gone out of my way to be unpleasant to her.”

 

“I believe her exact words were, ‘ _There are too many people in this relationship John – I only wanted to be part of a couple, not a love triangle’_.”

 

“Well, technically speaking, if it were a love triangle, one of you would have to be pursuing me.”

 

“ _Sherlock._ ”

 

John’s exclamation made him look up, and he rested his pen for a few moments.  John’s brow was furrowed, and he ran a hand over his face.

 

“Whatever it is, she was right.  It was never just me and her.  You were always there, with a case or an errand or something that interrupted our time together.”

 

“You live and work with me–”

 

“We live and work _together_ ,” John corrected.

 

Sherlock waved his hand dismissively.

 

John sighed and pinched at the bridge of his nose, then rubbed his eyes.

 

“Well, was it deliberate then?” he asked.  “You wanted us to break up?”

 

“Oh please.  I have far more important things to do than concern myself with dull domestic affairs.”

 

John’s mouth twisted into a tight smirk, trying to contain his irritation.

 

“But I bet you’re happy we have?”

 

Sherlock went back to his papers, scribbling some more notes next to a collection of symbols.

 

“Happiness is not something I pursue, you know that, John.”  He paused a moment in thought.  “Although, if I were looking at it from the perspective of advantage and disadvantage, then I would say you _are_ more productive in this state.”

 

“In this state?” John asked.  “You mean, miserable and alone?”

 

“In time, you won’t be miserable,” Sherlock pointed out.  “And you’re not alone, don’t be ridiculous.  You’ve got me.”

 

John gave an incredulous chuckle, shaking his head.

 

“I’ve got _you?_ ” he asked.  “That’s the solution, is it?  That’s all I need?”

 

“All anyone _needs_ is something to keep their mind occupied.  Everything else is irrelevant.”

 

“We’re not all sociopaths like you,” John reminded him.  “Some of us crave the company of others.”

 

“I’m company, am I not?”

 

John threw him a withering stare.

 

“Not that kind of company,” he stipulated.  “The _other_ kind.”

 

For once, Sherlock’s mind was not razor-sharp in interpreting another’s words, and it took a moment before dawning realisation passed over his features.  It then made his brow furrow.

 

“Such animal cravings are easily satiated.  Can’t you do what everyone else does and find it at a bar?”

 

John snorted, shaking his head again and folding his arms over his chest.

 

“Have you been _out_ to a bar recently?  Do you even know how hard it is to get a woman to talk to you, let alone go home with you?  I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m no longer young and attractive enough for that – well, I never really _was_ the attractive part, but you know what I mean.”

 

Sherlock studied him carefully for a few moments.

 

“There’s nothing particularly _wrong_ with the way you look–”

 

“Oh, thank you,” John said sarcastically.

 

“–but I suppose you have that polite, homely look about you, which I gather is not what women in those places are looking for.”

 

“I _think_ there was a compliment in there somewhere.”

 

“But if it’s just sex you’re after, there’s always the monetary option.”

 

John first looked affronted by this, but then just sighed again.

 

“Apart from my obvious moral objection to what you’re suggesting, which I will explain to you another time, I should remind you that we don’t exactly have the money to waste on things like that.”

 

Sherlock shrugged.

 

“Yes, I suppose.”  He paused.  “Then shouldn’t internet access alleviate your need in some way?”

 

John stared at him.

 

“Well, thank you for completing the sexual humiliation on all fronts.  That’s just what I needed right now.”

 

Sherlock put down his pen again, sighing.

 

“It was not deliberate humiliation; I was only being logical in an attempt to help you with your problem,” he explained.  “And it seems to me your main reason for being upset about Sarah is that your break-up proves inconvenient for your sexual needs.  So you can stop with your moralising tone; you are no better than I.”

 

“It wasn’t for convenience!” John exclaimed.  “I liked Sarah!”

 

“I’m sure you did,” Sherlock said.  “But you never claimed to love her, did you?”

 

John closed his mouth, brow furrowing.

 

“Well, no,” he admitted.

 

“Then it _was_ convenience, for both of you,” Sherlock continued.  “A suitable arrangement, which is nothing to be ashamed of.  But don’t claim to be heartbroken, or blame me for it, because you know it isn’t true.”

 

John fell silent, and sat down.  He ran a hand over his face and then through his hair.

 

“It _was_ convenient, I suppose.  But she was nice too.  It was fun, and I’m disappointed it’s over,” he said finally.  “Because now I’m back to how things were – being alone.”

 

“I told you, you’re not alone.”

 

John looked up from the floor, throwing Sherlock a wry smile.

 

“Well, it’s not like I exactly have _you_ for those other needs,” he joked.

 

Sherlock didn’t break his gaze, and his expression was still serious.  John’s eyebrows rose a little and he tilted his head in query.  He watched his colleague for a few more moments before laughing softly and shaking his head.

 

“I should have known you weren’t done making fun of me,” John said, a half-smile pulling at one side of his mouth.

 

“I’m not making fun of you,” Sherlock replied.

 

John’s expression turned serious again, and slightly perplexed.

 

“Then what are you suggesting?”

 

“What do you _think_ I’m suggesting?”

 

“ _Sherlock_ ,” John sighed, exasperated.

 

John waited but Sherlock didn’t elaborate, so the doctor went on.

 

“Okay, fine.  It sounds like you’re suggesting that I come to you for my _other_ needs.  The animal ones.”

 

“That is what I’m suggesting, yes,” Sherlock confirmed.

 

“We’ve been through this,” John stated.  “I’m not… I don’t…”

 

“When it’s only about physical relief, does it really matter?” Sherlock asked.  “It’s not as if you’ll be my boyfriend.”

 

“Well, for a start, I think _you’d_ be _my_ boyfriend, if we were to actually date.  And yes, it _does_ matter.”

 

“Why?  You’ve just ruled out the heterosexual possibilities,” Sherlock pointed out.  “If it’s that important to you to find relief, you’re better off broadening your options.”

 

“And you’re offering to be one of those options?” John asked.  “You just said yourself that you have more important things to do than meddle in domestic affairs; why would you even be remotely interested in doing that with me?”

 

“Domestic affairs – yes.  I never said I didn’t also have those animal cravings on occasion.”

 

John chuckled.

 

“You?  I don’t think I believe it.  They must be very rare occasions indeed.”

 

Sherlock was quiet, his eyes falling back to his work, and he began shuffling through papers.  John’s smile softened a little, realising he may have hurt Sherlock’s feelings – if that was even possible.

 

“What I mean is, I’ve never noticed you wanting those things.  It just surprises me,” John explained.

 

“Just because you didn’t notice it, doesn’t mean it wasn’t there.”

 

“I’m well aware of that,” John replied.

 

An awkward silence hung in the air for a few moments, only interrupted by the shuffle of Sherlock’s papers every now and then.

 

“So, you’re serious, then?” John asked, breaking the silence.  “About your offer?”

 

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t serious,” Sherlock replied distractedly.

 

“So, if I just came home tomorrow and decided I desperately needed a shag, you wouldn’t turn me down?” he asked, half-joking.

 

Sherlock didn’t look up as he replied.

 

“No, I wouldn’t.”

 

John’s smile faded and he furrowed his brow, a little confused.  He watched Sherlock for a minute more, his hand rubbing over his mouth.

 

“Alright then.”

 

Sherlock noticed a shadow fall over his paperwork, and when he looked up John was standing over him expectantly.  He stopped, slightly surprised.

 

“Oh.”

 

Sherlock put his pen down slowly and studied at length the look in John’s eyes.

 

“Now, then?” he asked.

 

“No time like the present,” John replied, laughing nervously.

 

He still wasn’t entirely sure about this, and half-expected Sherlock to tell him he was only testing him to see what he would do.

 

Sherlock put his papers on the table, setting his work aside for the night.  He then stood up from his seat to meet John eye to eye.

 

“I do have one rule though,” Sherlock explained.  “No kissing.”

 

“Such a romantic,” John deadpanned.

 

“That’s precisely what I don’t want.  The last thing we need is you falling in love with me or something equally silly,” Sherlock said seriously.

 

John chuckled, rolling his eyes.

 

“I think I can restrain myself,” he replied.

 

Silence fell again, and John wasn’t sure if Sherlock was waiting for him to make the first move because he was too nervous, or just expected John to because all of this was his doing.  Either way, John decided he would, and lifted a hand to Sherlock’s suit jacket.  Slipping his hand under the collar, he slid it off at the shoulder, thumb feeling its way along the shirt underneath.

 

He noticed he was shaking a little, but didn’t feel quite so awkward when he looked up to see Sherlock swallowing thickly, watching him with slightly wide eyes.  Perhaps he wasn’t the only nervous one.  The thought made him smile, which of course Sherlock noticed immediately.

 

“What’s so amusing?” he asked.

 

“This, I guess,” John said, as he pushed Sherlock’s jacket off the other shoulder.  “Mrs Hudson was right about us after all.”

 

Sherlock allowed his jacket to slide from his arms and threw it down on the chair behind him.

 

“We’re not a couple,” he reminded him.  “Do you need me to take your shirt off, then?”

 

John smiled to himself again and shook his head.

 

“No, that’s fine; I’ll do it myself in a moment,” he replied.  “And I know we’re not a couple.  But I suppose we _will_ only need one room some of the time.”

 

“I’m not sharing my bed with you all the time now, if that’s what you’re thinking.  I need my own space.”

 

John let out an exasperated laugh.

 

“Oh honestly, Sherlock.  Just shut up and get to the bedroom so we can do this.”

 

Sherlock raised his eyebrows at him but didn’t protest, just turned to make his way down the hall, John following in tow.

 

*

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to go further, into more chapters, but I can't get it to feel right so I gave up for now. I might write sequels in the future, but didn't want to promise anything in case it never happens.


End file.
